Sunday, March 31, 2013

The New Power Brand In Music, What For It... Radio

 
Can't live without our radio, nor can the masses for music discovery



With so many different channels for discovering and listening to music and, with massive generational shifts under way, it's impossible to tell what the music business will look like even in the short-term.



FORTUNE -- Nielsen's "Music360" survey of consumers shows an industry in chaos, with no clear idea of what music distribution will look like in five years, let alone 10.

The Internet, of course, will be the primary means by which most people discover new music. But it's impossible to know through which channels that discovery will take place. While lots of adults still discover new music through traditional radio, 64% of teenagers cite YouTube (GOOG) as their primary source for listening to music. This despite the growth of services like Pandora (P) and Spotify. The difference between adults and teenagers is stark. Only 7% of all 3,000 respondents say their primary music channel is YouTube. A big change is under way.

At the same time, even teenagers, surprisingly enough, are still buying CDs: a third of them said they bought at least one CD in the past year. And half of all teens say they listen to music on CDs at least sometimes. Clearly, that doesn't mean CDs still have a future, but it shows that at least some teenagers (most of whom have never known a world without online music) are willing to shell out for music when they really like it.

The survey shows that, for now, traditional radio is still a major source of music discovery, with 48% of respondents -- more than with any other medium -- saying that's where they discover most of their new music. Also surprisingly, the difference in perceived "value" between digital music and CDs is rather narrow. Nearly two-thirds of all respondents (including adults) say digital music is a good value. But 55% of them say the same thing about CDs.

The popularity of YouTube as a music channel should give some pause to those who believe mobile music apps are the wave of the future. Apparently, many teenagers seem to think YouTube is easy enough to use and to find the tunes their friends are talking about -- or that they heard on the car radio on the way home from school.


The new power brand in music is youtube

The following is a small sampling of insights included in the Music 360 report:

Radio is still the dominant way people discover music

48% discover music most often through the radio
10% discover music most often through friends/relatives
7% discover music most often through YouTube

More teens listen to music through YouTube than through any other source

64% of teens listen to music through YouTube
56% of teens listen to music on the radio
53% of teens listen to music through iTunes
50% of teens listen to music on CD

Positive recommendations from a friend are most likely to influence purchase decisions

54% are more likely to make a purchase based off a positive recommendation from a friend
25% are more likely to make a purchase based off a music blog/chat rooms
12% are more likely to make a purchase based off an endorsement from a brand
8% of all respondents share music on social networking sites, while 6% upload music.

Music player apps are most prevalent, followed by radio and music store apps

54% have music player apps on their smartphones
47% have radio apps on their smartphones
26% have music store apps on their smartphones

Males purchase rock music most often, while females prefer top 40

38% of males purchase rock most often
15% of females (compared to 9% of males) purchase top 40 most often

Digital music is seen as a slightly better value than a physical CD

63% of purchasers identified digital albums as a very or fairly good value
61% identified digital tracks as a very or fairly good value
55% identified physical CDs as a very or fairly good value

Younger consumers who do buy digital tracks, are more likely to purchase new music immediately after its release

33% of teens purchased a digital track within one week of release
21% of persons 18+ purchased a digital track within one week of release
36% of teens have bought a CD in the last year; 51% of teens have purchased some kind of music download

18-24 year olds are most likely to attend a music event (among those who attend any type of live event)

7% attending once a week or more
30% attending once a month

Although 18-24 year olds attend more live events, teens are more likely to purchase T-shirts and posters while there.

54% (compared to 46% of 18-24 year olds) of teen attendees purchase concert tees
14% (compared to 7% of 18-24 year olds) of teen attendees purchase concert posters

Listeners enjoy hearing movie soundtracks over music related TV shows or video games

42% enjoy hearing music via music related TV show
59% enjoy hearing music via movie soundtracks
28% enjoy hearing music via music related video games

Older consumers have decreased their spending the most during the current economy

• 41% of respondents 55+ reduced their spending to a large degree
39% of respondents 45-54 reduced their spending to a large degree

• Only 28% of respondents age 25-34 reduced their spending to a large degree

Data for Music 360 were collected via 3,000 online consumer surveys using Nielsen’s proprietary, high-quality ePanel in the United States. Topics addressed in this study include: where/when music is consumed, through which device(s), apps and services; digital vs. physical purchases; the process of discovery, and how/when discovery converts to purchase; insights around spending, share of wallet, and retailer preferences; live events; and much more.

The Green Lady Killers Invade El Cid On April 6th

Barrio Tiger, The Green Lady Killers, The Hitchhikers Sat, April 6, 2013

Doors: 9:00 pm / Show: 10:00 pm $5 cover. Please note: All set times are SHARP!

Link to the El Cid in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles

The Green Lady Killers invade El Cid on April 6th

Rory Kelly Featured As Most Viewed Artist In England

Hard work always pays off and especially when it is aligned with raw talent. Rory Kelly is always on the move and making things happen with his music and by also having a positive attitude on everything. For this and many other reasons we find it damn cool when sites such as Music Talkers pops up and showcases him as a most viewed artist. With three tours under his belt in Europe, it is just about time to hit up jolly ol 'England and win over a plethora of more fans.


Rory Kelly featured as one of the most viewed artists on Music Talkers out of the UK

U-Turn Audio, Offers Up A Great New Turntable

Finding great new audio gear is indeed a passion, just as much as enjoying your vinyl. There is a great new turntable company that recently got funded on Kickstarter and from the looks of their equipment, it will indeed be a high quality product.

"We love listening to music on vinyl, and we believe that everyone should have access to a quality vinyl experience. But we found that capable turntables were prohibitively expensive. That’s why we designed the Orbit – a remarkably simple turntable that cuts the cost of high-performance playback in half."

Find out more about U-Turn Audio

The Orbit, a new turntable from U-Turn Audio
The Orbit, a new turntable from U-Turn Audio

Nitro Warriors, Awesome Animated Short Film


Nitro Warriors - A Stop Motion Animated Film from Vanguard Pictures on Vimeo.

"A super-charged Ford Mustang is under hot pursuit by the law and throws them off its tail one by one, but it may have met its match when it comes up against a mysterious black police Chevy Corvette...

This stop motion action film using toy cars took 6 months to shoot for just under 3 minutes of film! It was filmed using bespoke rigging systems and an iPhone with an application called Stop Motion Studio."

Produced by Brenden Kent Directed by Paul Greer

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Could North Carolina Be Repealing Helmet Laws For Motorcycles?

Could North Carolina be repealing helmet laws for motorcycle riders? Well damn, it's on the books and being voted on so anything is possible. Who cares whether or not you favor the law, as a motorcyclist I don't want to be told what I can and can't do, nor as a civilian of this once great country. Helmet laws and seat belt laws should be optional, same way as it is to enjoy your favorite flavor of beer. Life is about choices and doing so with an understanding of the consequences, man up or move on.

Link to original post on Raleigh News Observer

North Carolina House committee endorses helmets optional law for most motorcyclists
— Adult motorcycle riders would be free to ride without head protection under legislation, approved Tuesday by a House committee, to repeal North Carolina’s mandatory safety helmet law for most motorcyclists.

Helmets would be required only for motorcyclists younger than 21 and for inexperienced older riders who have been licensed to drive motorcycles for less than 12 months. Riders without helmets would have to carry enough insurance coverage to cover the first $10,000 of their medical bills from crash injuries.

Members of the House Transportation Committee agreed, in a divided voice vote, that North Carolina should join 31 other states that give most bikers the freedom to decide for themselves.

“I always wore a helmet to protect myself,” said Rep. Rodney Moore, a Charlotte Democrat who said he hasn’t driven a motorcycle in a few years. “But when you look at a person’s rights, they have a right to decide whether they want to wear a helmet or not. They should be able to make a reasonable decision.”

Another former motorcyclist argued in favor of mandatory head gear.

“I have concerns about the cost to the public of long-term brain injuries,” said Rep. Rick Catlin, a Wilmington Republican. “And having had a motorcycle myself and wearing a helmet, it saved my life before.”

He said later it had been many years since a crash in which he credited his helmet with saving him.

“I support the requirement in the law now,” Catlin said. “Motorcycles fall down a lot.”
Legislators did not ask for a review of crash safety studies from their staff or from state public health experts. Rep. John Torbett of Monroe, the bill sponsor, offered statistics to support his contention that helmet laws do not reduce injuries or medical costs.

But there were safety advocates in the audience who argued later that North Carolina’s helmet requirement is a big life-saver. Tom Crosby of Charlotte, president of the AAA Carolinas Traffic Safety Foundation, said the Centers for Disease Control ranked North Carolina tops in the nation for saving lives and cutting costs with its helmet rule.

“They say the helmet law is the most effective safety measure to prevent traffic deaths in the United States, and we’re number one,” Crosby said. “You wonder why, when you’re the safest in the nation, why would you want to change it?”

Rep. Larry Pittman, a Concord Republican, said motorcyclists should be allowed to accept the risk of injury.

“If the person chooses not to wear a helmet and anything happens, he’s not hurting anybody but himself,” Pittman said.

Carol Ornitz of Raleigh, who listened to the debate, countered Pittman’s argument in an interview. Ornitz is chairman of the state Brain Injury Advisory Council, which supports the current helmet requirement. 

She cares for a son and a husband who suffered brain injuries in separate accidents that did not involve motorcycles. Every night she sleeps in her son’s room to watch out for seizures and other problems, she said.

“With serious head injuries, that is what happens: you become their caretakers,” Ornitz said. “So it’s not just your freedom. It’s the impact on the rest of your families, and also on the state.”

Torbett’s bill would reduce the current penalty for violations of the helmet law, to make it a $25.50 infraction. Violators no longer would have to pay $130 in court costs. Before it can become law, the legislation must be considered by the House Judiciary Committee, the full House and the Senate."

Siceloff: 919-829-4527 or blogs.newsobserver.com/crosstown or twitter.com/Road_Worrier/

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/26/2781722/nc-house-committee-endorses-helmets.html#storylink=cpy


Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/03/26/2781722/nc-house-committee-endorses-helmets.html#storylink=cpy

Rory Kelly Unleashes New Teaser Track

Laziness is not a word that ever comes into mind when thinking on Rory Kelly. His work ethic and positive attitude are infectious, maybe even more so that the choice grooves that he lays down on the teaser track called "Lay To Waste". Have a listen...

Freedom Isn't Free, Nor Is Music

There is a nice little storm brewing online about the availability of music and perceived value. We are staunch supporters of paying to get in at shows and also buying merch and music from the bands we dig. If you want to keep a scene alive or the bands you enjoy, cough up a few bucks for some digital downloads or whatever they might have for sale. With companies such as Facebook now trying to make your posts, be paid for and trying to wring every last cent they can get to keep their stock holders happy, get back to basics.

Music and underground culture has always maintained a solid DIY attitude, but we have to keep gas in the engine and oil in the gears. There ya have it, our public service announcement about making sure the things you enjoy in life are made to last. BTW, the video below was posted by Frank Mullen of the death metal band Suffocation.


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Hellbound Glory, Road Photos Update From The Rebel Soul Tour With Kid Rock and Buckcherry

Leroy Virgil aka Skum Dawg
Warming up backstage and letting loose
Rico getting the full effect of the red stage lights
Damn its great to see Hellbound Glory on the big stages they deserve to be on.
Hellbound Glory 2013
Check out some of the great custom work that can be with a Hellbound Glory tshirt
From small clubs to stadiums, Hellbound Glory plays Real Country Music

Smoke Out 14, Looks To Be Another Great Event

Really looking forward to the Smoke Out this year and damn glad its a local event for us. Knowing how much of a festive atmosphere that it can be, packing everything you need on a motorcycle is tough to do. From the drag racing, seeing friends from all over the country and good times to be had, of course, you need to haul a couch or an easy chair for hours upon end of swapping stories over cold beer. With on site fabrication going down, Cutthroat Shamrock rocking the main stage and checking out all the great bikes, June can't get here fast enough.

All the info you need on the Smoke Out

Smoke Out 14 features fabricators on site making a bike come to life
Need to learn some TIG welding tips and techniques, roll up
Multiple builders will be on site showing how its done.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Hellbound Glory Featured On CMT Edge



"Every good girl secretly wants a bad boy, or so the story goes, but when Hellbound Glory showed up at CMT’s Nashville office recently, they turned out to be nice enough fellows. Still though, singer Leroy Virgil and his band out of Reno, Nev., are a bunch of late-nightin’ honky-tonkers with trouble on their minds. “I’m not a flashy guy, but I like showing off,” he says on the band’s website. Prior to a Nashville gig with Kid Rock, the band showed off their gritty West Coast sound on “Lost Cause” in the CMT studio. In this traditional country tune, Virgil warns his own good girl not to get too close. Since they’re already married, I guess that advice could have come sooner. Check out Hellbound Glory’s exclusive performance of “Lost Cause” on CMT Edge."

Link to original post on CMT Edge


Hellbound Glory featured on CMT Edge

Recycle An Old Skate Deck Into A Guitar Body


Damn, our minds are just spinning with ideas after seeing these awesome guitars created from old skate decks.

"Made entirely by hand in a buenos aires workshop, Argentinian luthier Ezequiel Galasso and pro skateboarder Gianfranco De Gennaro Gilmour have collaborated to develop electric 'skate guitars' from reclaimed skateboard decks. both the body and neck are constructed with layered maple - with models equipped with features such as single volume knobs, whammy bars and humbucking pickups." 

Find out more on Facebook

Check out original post on DesignBoom

Skate guitar made from recycled skateboard deck

DIY at it's best, take an old skate deck and turn into a guitar, damn right.




Friday, March 22, 2013

Husky Burnette, Tales From The Road

Folks if ya haven't heard the news, the one and only Husky Burnette has joined Rusty Knuckles Music. One of the cool things Husky is amped to work up are his notes from the road. We are going to work on a road journal style approach to this, so hang tight. Much more is to come and we are damn stoked to see what photos pop up from his travels.

"Here's a pic of the letter we woke up to from Wes from the Swamp Rats that we just met at the Naples, FL show...thought that was too funny. These other pics are from Jim Mitchell's house/Cigar City CBG's compound. Jim gave me a cigar box guitar endorsement deal back in 2011 so this is us stopping by to pick up one of my cbg's he's been working on and jamming in his living room. And finally, a picture of my home since March 1st. ...that ol' highway!" - Husky







Big Mountain Run Cancelled, Damn...

Go figure, the great event that was the Big Mountain Run is now all said and done. Damn it. Was looking forward to our annual pilgrimage to the Tennessee hills in May, but this year we will be making other plans. During mid July a gathering is already being planned in southern Ohio on the Kentucky border. If you know us, get in touch on the plans. Ya don't need a mass amount of folks to have a good time, just the right individuals, same as our fall gathering, Run What Ya Brung.

Big Mountain Run cancelled for Spring of 2013
Link to post on Cycle Source

"So here’s the deal with Big Mountain Run for the Spring of 2013. As of now, it has been canceled. There will not be an event produced by Cycle Source Magazine for Mat under the name of Big Mountain Run or not. The reason, since there seems to be some speculation as to why it’s not going on, is simply this: As time grew close for planning, the property owner conveyed some concerns about a certain group of attendees at last years rally. He thought their behavior was a little out of line and would have rather we didn’t invite them back again this year. When I explained to him that they were good guys and had been at BMR in support of us from the beginning and we wouldn’t tell them not to come, he further explained that the property would not be available this year. This is his right, just as it is our choice to not turn away people who have supported us over the years. With such a short amount of time left to find another location we feel that we’d rather wait until later this year or even until next year and do this event right with a new location. I know that many people plan their vacations according to this event, and to all of you I apologize but  I started BMR to have a good time with my friends and I can’t tell some of them not to come because another property owner is freaked out by how we have fun. A good brother of mine once told me that you can never trade freedom for safety……I believe in those words more today than ever before. After all, good men and women have fought wars for this country so its people would have hat freedom.   We are already working on the panning of the next event so please stay tuned to the Cycle Source blog and as soon as we know something we’ll get it to you."


Thursday, March 21, 2013

Need The Right Time, Use A Norton Clock

Certainly if you enjoy working on anything mechanical, you have a parts stash of some sorts hanging out in your garage. Ever thought about a cool wall decoration that is functional? Damn if we couldn't get enough of this cool idea we found over on Instructables.

Small clock powered by a AA battery
Backing plate for hanging on the wall
Clock is ready to go into place on the points cover
Keeping Greenwich meantime instead of engine timing

Billy Don Burns Still Holding Down The Alternate Country Charts

Billy Don Burns is still holding position on the Alternative Country Charts



Billy Don Burns is featured on the Alternate Root charts

Hellbound Glory Invades Graceland

Good things come to those who kick in doors with their never say die attitude along with being immensely talented. Hats off to the fellas in Hellbound Glory for an impromptu jam at the home of the King.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Shooter Jennings - The Other Life

Definitely stoked to get a copy of Shooter Jennings new album based on the glowing review below from Itunes. After seeing him perform solo a few weeks back, damn does he know how to bring it to the stage. Honored to say he is a solid dude and looking forward to saying hello down the road sometime soon.

Get your copy of his new album from Itunes

"Shooter Jennings has always demanded to be taken on his own terms. If 2012's Family Man was his most "country" album, The Other Life is its companion and mirror, not its follow-up. Six of these tracks were cut at the earlier album's sessions, including the firebrand "Outlaw You," the tune for the music video that was a musical middle finger to Eric Church and Jason Aldean (which has curiously gone unanswered). The Other Life is wilder, darker, rowdier, and more diverse than its predecessor. The brooding opener "Flying Saucer Song," a piano- and effects-driven number, is eventually transformed into a spaced-out, gospel-tinged song about space (outer and inner). It throws the listener for a loop, but resolutely belongs — but only as the first cut. The set contains gorgeous country ballads such as "Wild and Lonesome" (with Patty Griffin on backing vocals) and the title track. There are fine, midtempo honky tonkers including "The Outsider" and the pedal steel- and banjo-saturated "The Low Road." There are steamy, electric, country-kissed, blues-rock numbers such as "A Hard Lesson to Learn," and the rock & roll boogie of "Mama It's Just My Medicine." There's a shuffling, snarling, futuristic, midtempo Americana tune in "15 Million Light Years Away," with reverb-drenched production that features a weathered (not weary) Jim Dandy — from Black Oak Arkansas — as a duet partner. The first single is a wooly, rowdy reading of Steve Young's "White Trash Song," with Scott H. Biram guesting. Young, an underground legend, authored the outlaw anthem "Lonesome Orn'ry & Mean," a signature tune for Jennings' dad. This reading of the 1971 tune contains skittering rockabilly drums, pumping upright bass, wailing pedal steel, hyper-acoustic guitars, piercing fiddles, and an additional verse. (Neither Jennings nor Biram took a co-write for it; something unheard of in Music City.) It underscores the iconoclastic legacy bequeathed to Jennings by his free-spirited parents. But more than that, the song is a celebration of all that doesn't fit — anywhere. It's an apt self-referential metaphor. Album-closer "The Gunslinger" is Jennings' own anthem, drenched in country, rock, R&B, and even jazz, courtesy of the improvisational interplay between Jonathan Stewart's tenor saxophone, guitars, keyboards, and the rhythm section. Its lyric is a militant gauntlet directed at those who would disrespect him, yet displays a camaraderie with outsider musicians of all stripes. Jennings truly came into his own on Family Man, but on The Other Life, he pushes the boundaries further, offering some of the finest songs he's written to date. He fully realizes here what he's been attempting all along. Box these sounds whichever way you want to, but they are all Shooter Jennings, and as music, The Other Life is all killer, no filler."

Shooter Jennings - The Other Life
"Shooter Jennings is the gifted creation of Waylon and Jessi Colter, two of the truest stars in Country Music. In his newest CD, The Other Life, he continues to go his own way and speak his own words as passionately and absolutely as original as his parents. Powerful, hard-rocking grooves on 'A Hard Lesson' and 'The White Trash Song'; heart and soulful 'Wild and Lonesome' and 'The Other Life,' the tough truthfulness of 'The Low Road' and 'Mama, It's just My Medicine,' the proud self-portrait of 'The Outsider,' to the in-your-face, 'Gunslinger' ... somewhere Waylon's smiling." — Kris Kristofferson

March 26: Daytona Bike Week - Daytona, FL
April 11: Texas Music Theater - San Marcos, TX
April 12: Strange Brew - Shreveport, LA
April 13: Nutty Jerry's - Winnie, TX
April 16: Ziggy's - Winston-Salem, NC
April 17: The Handlebar - Greenville, SC
April 18: 40 Watt - Athens, GA
April 19: Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
April 20: The Windjammer - Isle of Palms, SC
April 23: Grand Ole Opry - Nashville, TN
April 24: Track 29 - Chattanooga, TN
April 25: Marathon Music Works - Nashville, TN
April 26: 8 Seconds Saloon - Indianapolis, IN
April 27: Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
April 28: Rollie's: - Sauk Rapids, MN
May 18: Doughboyz - Ashville, OH
May 22: The National - Richmond, VA
May 24: Gus Bar - Jacksonville, NC
May 25: The Shed/Smokey Mountain Harley Davidson - Maryville, TN
May 26: Atomic Cowboy - St. Louis, MO
June 1: Goose on the Lake - Allegre, KY
June 6: Thunder on the Mountain - Ozark, AR
June 7: Brazos Nights: Texas Music Showcase - Waco, TX
July 13: Renfro Valley Old Barn Shows - Renfro Valley, KY
Aug. 3: Gorge Amphitheater - George, WA